Create value by training staff on the use of technology.

In an earlier article, we posited that one of the biggest mistakes organizations make is investing in technology then not training their people on how to effectively leverage the technology tools to achieve desired outcomes. Having trained several organizations, we at Maarifasasa have come across this problem too often.

Simply investing in technology isn't enough. Technology alone will not change anything. If you take a tech-first approach, you really are putting the cart before the horse. Now, that doesn't mean you don't need to have the right infrastructure.

Technology is an essential connector and enabler, especially as more and more companies are shifting to remote working. In fact, you probably have a Learning Management System in place already, but the problem with the learning management system as the name suggests is that it was built to manage learners, not for them. It was designed to make sure people complete their compliance training, and companies can track and report on it. And it does those things really well, but what it doesn't do is provide a consumer-grade experience, or do a very good job enabling self-driven continuous learning. That's why the market for learning experience platforms has exploded in recent years.  

"Upskilling means giving your employees opportunities to gain the knowledge, tools, and ability they need to use advanced and ever-changing technologies."

In fact, at Maarifasasa, we're leveraging world-class learning experience platforms to help you power the next generation upskilling programs for your teams. But simply investing in the right Learning Experience Platform isn't enough. You'll need an ecosystem of tools integrated to perform a variety of functions. From creating and discover, to experiment and measure.

Now, with the right set of tools in place, you will need to make deliberate efforts to train your people on how to leverage the technology tools in a manner that aligns with business strategy and enhances their abilities to achieve key objectives effectively and efficiently. In a nutshell, this is where digital upskilling comes in very handy.

Investing in your people with the right skills is the only way to guarantee effective use of technology to deliver a competitive advantage for your organization.

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